A Circular World: It’s Everyone’s Responsibility

A circular world is one that keeps materials and products in use for as long possible. To create a more circular world and protect the health of the planet, the global problem of packaging waste must be addressed.  

Increasing the recyclability of packaging is an integral strategy for breaking the take-make-waste cycle and contributing to a circular economy. Recycling keeps waste out of landfills, conserves natural resources, reduces demand for raw materials, prevents pollution, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.  

Recycling to create a more circular world is critical for protecting the environment and mitigating the climate crisis. Companies, governments and consumers can all do their part to boost recycling of product packaging to promote a circular economy. 

Source: UNDP Climate Promise

Companies 

Companies can decrease waste and pollution by designing recyclability into their packaging. Rethinking product packaging to increase recyclability can reduce carbon emissions and help companies meet circularity targets.  

When designing packaging for recyclability, brands should look for circular packaging materials like aluminum. As a metal that can be recycled an infinite number of times without losing its original properties, aluminum is considered one of the key materials for the circular economy. Nearly 75% of all aluminum ever produced is still in use today. 

As brands look to minimize their environmental impact and win over sustainability minded customers, they must not only switch to packaging materials that are easy to recycle but must help educate consumers on how to recycle the packaging. A coalition of forward thinking brands are already doing this by adopting How2Recycle smart packaging labels. How2Recycle is a standardized labeling system that clearly communicates recycling instructions to the public. 

Government 

The government can also help increase recycling and play a critical role in advancing circularity by supporting and strengthening community recycling programs, modernizing recycling infrastructure and educating consumers.  

In 2020, the EPA announced a goal to increase the U.S, recycling from 32% to 50% by 2030. The EPA aims to support this goal by reducing contamination in recycling, making the U.S. recycling processing system more efficient and strengthening the economic markets for recycled materials. 

Some U.S. states are also working to significantly increase recycling rates through extended producer responsibility (EPR) fees, which shift some of the cost of waste management to brand owners, producers and material manufacturers. EPR fees are based on the types and amount of packaging these entities put on the market and help cover the cost of collecting, sorting and recycling. 

Communities can also help increase recycling rates by adding recycling bins in public spaces and using social media and websites to promote recycling, share information on what materials can be recycled and increase participation. 

Consumers 

Consumers also play a vital role in boosting recycling rates to advance circularity and help reduce the 82.2 million tons of containers and packaging that make up a major portion of municipal solid waste.  

Consumers can do their part by checking with their local recycling provider to learn what they will accept in recycling bins. Another way consumers can increase recycling is to “think green” as they shop, checking product labels before they buy to determine if the packaging is made from recyclable or recycled materials. 

Becoming recycling advocates and urging their representatives to introduce legislation that supports recycling programs is another way consumers can help increase recycling and promote a more circular world.  

The world needs to become more circular, and packaging innovations can help. 

Innovative packaging solutions like the EEASY Lid made of recyclable and sustainable aluminum can help brands close the loop and accelerate their path to circularity. Contact us today to learn more about how the EEASY Lid can help increase the circularity of your products.